PENNSYLVANIA – Middle Smithfield tells private community to solve its own problem

POCONO RECORD: Middle Smithfield tells private community to solve its own problem

By Wayne Witkowski

Pocono Record Writer

April 05, 2014

What happens in private communities stays in private communities.

That was the point politely conveyed by the Middle Smithfield Township Board of Supervisors during the public comment session at its bimonthly meeting when a small, but determined, group of residents of Timber Mountain Estates came to state their concerns about water issues in their community. Timber Mountain has 30 homes, but two are unoccupied. Although the roads are serviced during winter weather by the township as municipal roads, the community is enjoined in an agreement from a developer from 30 years ago. When that developer, who is the head of the company overseeing the community, died recently, the new president and vice president of Timber Mountain Estates notified residents they must pay a $75 monthly fee to pay for operating the community well and system shared by residents.

A letter sent to each resident from that office tells them to pay the rate, or get their water turned off. “We’ll pay the rate, but we want a cap (limit) on that (rate),” said one resident who asked not to be named because the person is not sure what will happen and doesn’t want to affect the process since many residents have approached an attorney to intercede on their behalf. Read more: